Most garments are made by cutting fabric into pattern pieces and then sewing the cut pattern pieces together to make the garment. Typically, each cut pattern piece has one or more edges that are sewn to the edges of one or more adjacent cut pattern pieces, thereby forming seams between cut pattern pieces. The outer edges of the garment, however, are not sewn to the edges of other cut pattern pieces. As a result, the outer edges are exposed to forces that may fray or tear the fabric. In response to the tearing and fraying problem, the clothing industry has developed methods for finishing the edges of garments, including using narrow elastics, laces, trims and/or folded over edges.
The most common method for finishing the edges of a cut pattern piece involves using narrow elastics. Referring to FIG. 1, a cut pattern piece A may be made of cotton, nylon, polyester, or spandex fibers or any other natural or synthetic fibers commonly used to make garments. The cut pattern piece A has an outer edge B and includes a plurality of fibers C having free ends D that terminate at the edge B. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the free ends D of the fibers C form a rough, outer edge that tends to fray and/or tear as the fabric is used.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned fraying and tearing problems in garment, most cut pattern pieces have narrow elastics that are sewn onto the outer edges of the cut pattern pieces. Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C and 3A-3C, a cut pattern piece A has a rough, outer edge B with fibers having ends (not shown) that terminate at the edge. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 3A, a narrow elastic S is aligned over a top surface C of the cut pattern piece A. Referring to FIGS. 2B and 3B, a flap F of fabric adjacent outer edge B is folded over the top surface C, and the narrow elastic S is positioned over the flap F. Referring to FIGS. 2C and 3C, the flap F and the narrow elastic S are held in place by stitching N to form a finished edge on the cut pattern piece A. The finished edge, including the flap S and the narrow elastic S, has a thickness T1 that is substantially greater than the thickness T2 of the cut pattern piece A itself. As a result, the finished edge is more bulky and is likely to be visible through outerwear.
As noted above, in most garments, finished edges are made using narrow elastics. In some garments, however, finished edges are made using laces, fold-over edges, or trims, with or without using narrow elastics. The presence of bulky edges, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, are not desirable, particularly when the pattern pieces are used for producing undergarments. The reason is that bulky finished edges add undesirable bulkiness to the undergarment and they can be seen through clothing worn over the undergarments. Additionally, the undesirable bulky finished edges often have rougher surfaces which tend to cause discomfort to a wearer.
Subsequently, the textile industry has developed a kind of fabric that can be cut freely without having the fraying and tearing problem. Although the fabric does not need binding to keep its edges from fraying and tearing, narrow elastics and trims are still needed in the garment manufacturing stage because the fabric does not provide the grip that is needed in certain style of garment. For example, if such fabric with finished edges is used in a panty style garment, a narrow elastic or other binding method is still needed to create a tighter grip in the waist opening of the garment, and bulky finished edges still exist even with the use of fabric with finished edges.
To further overcome the above-mentioned problems, the clothing industry has also developed a type of fabric having knitted-in edges, whereby relatively complex stitching is formed at the edges to prevent fraying and tearing, and provide sufficient grip to the fabric. Although garments having knitted-in edges are smoother than garments using narrow elastics, laces and/or trims, they are more expensive. This is because a knitted-in edge requires complex knitting that increases the cost of making the fabric and involves warp-knitting construction that requires higher handling and setup costs. Such statement holds true because warp knitting machinery costs more than circular knitting machinery. Furthermore, the production and preparation involved in warp knitting cost much more than those of circular knitting because more production procedures are involved. Additionally, one warp knitting production setup often produces a larger quantity of fabric and that requires a customer to bear a larger minimum order in quantity. Such minimum order requirement is often not desirable for undergarment production because orders of undergarment are often placed in smaller quantity because of small pieces used in these garment styles.
Besides the higher handling cost of manufacturing fabric with knitted-in edges, this type of warp knit fabric is limited to be knitted with synthetic fiber only. Although synthetic based fabric is used in the current clothing industry, the fabric is known to be less “breathable”, has a relatively low moisture absorption rate, and only offers artificial hand feel. Such properties are not particularly desirable in the undergarment industry because undergarments are worn next to the skin where the natural touch of fabric is crucial for maximizing the comfort of a wearer. With the market being more and more eco-conscious nowadays, natural/cellulose fiber based fabric is widely sorted after not only for its natural touch but also for the natural way the raw material is produced.
In view of the above-described problems, there is a need for garments having finished outer edges that are not bulky and do not show through outer garments. There is also a need for methods of making garments that improve material yield and reduce waste. There is also a need for garments having finished outer edges that provide enough grip to a wearer's body. Furthermore, there is also a need for a type of fabric that can solve the above-mentioned problems and is cellulose-based.
The above description of the background is provided to aid in understanding the cellulose-based circular knitted fabric and the method of manufacturing the fabric disclosed in the present patent application, but is not admitted to describe or constitute pertinent prior art.